As the competitive season draws to a close, the young women of Quesnel Technics Gymnastics club are really hitting their stride, scoring many personal bests at the Prince George Invitational (May 5) and the Zone 8 Championships (May 6).
Bianca Thompson stood out with an all-around gold performance in the Junior Olympic (JO) 8 category, as well as golds on beam and floor at the Zone 8 Championships.
She received the JO 8 trophy for best floor routine and highest score all around for her efforts.
Thompson’s coach, Christine Klein, says she has grown a lot this year.
“Level 8 has been a challenge for her,” she says.
“But she’s been working really hard and focusing on the little things and paying attention to detail in training.”
Apparently it has worked.
Klein also credits the club’s family atmosphere for Thompson and the rest of her teammates’ success, saying they are all willing to push each other to do better.
Coach Taylor O’Flynn is also pleased with the results at both competitions.
“It helped that it was farther in the year and they’ve already gotten rid of the competition nerves,” she says.
“They’ve been competing at these levels all year so far, so they’re all feeling good right now.”
O’Flynn says that the last event of the year will be the Ogopogo Invitational in Kelowna.
It is a larger meet, so she is not too concerned about placing and says she wants they girls to have fun, do their best and learn from it all.
Eight athletes attended the Prince George Invitational.
Kamryn Grant (JO 1) won silver on floor and all around as well as bronze on beam, gold on vault and gold on bars.
Anna Marie Kadenbach (JO 2) won gold on vault, bronze on bars, silver on beam, silver on floor and silver all around.
Paityn Giesbrecht (JO 2) won gold on vault and silver on bars, beam, floor and all around.
Mackenzie Ford (JO 2) won bronze on bars and placed 4th on floor, 8th on beam and vault and 7th all around.
Tahlia Denis (JO 3) received two 7th-place ribbons and a 5th.
Sienna Gryschuk (JO 6) won bronze on all around and floor, placed 4th on beam and bars and 5th on vault.
Seaurra Stewart (JO 6) placed 6th on bars and 7th on vault and beam.
Xaria Jourdain (JO 6) placed 8th in all around.
At the Zone 8 Championships on May 6th the team fielded 17 athletes.
JO 3 athletes
Kassia Kitamura won silver on vault and floor and bronze all around.
Justine Biller won a 5th place ribbon on vault.
Gizelle Macdonald won a 4th place ribbon on vault and floor.
Jersey Leeson won an 8th place ribbon on vault.
Paige Grant won a bronze medal on bars.
Isabella Burke finished in 5th on bars, beam and all around.
Rylynn Nugent received a gold medal on vault.
Jacqueline Ouellette won a bronze on bars, and a 4th on beam.
Tahlia Denis received a 5th place ribbon on floor, 6th on bars, 7th on vault and 8th on beam.
JO4 athlete
Emily Grant placed 10th on bars and beam.
JO 6 athletes
Sienna Gryschuk won bronze on vault and placed 4th on bars, floor and all around
Seaura Stewart placed 4th on vault.
Xaria Jourdain placed 5th on vault.
Hannah Brown won bronze on beam and placed 4th on floor.
JO 7 athletes:
Presley Kitamura won gold on beam, silver all around and bronze on vault, bars and floor.
Courtney Kitamura placed 4th on bars.
Rachel Ganes placed 4th on floor.
JO 8 athletes
Bianca Thompson won gold on beam, floor and all around, bronze on vault and silver on bars. She also received the JO 8 + trophy for best floor and highest all around score.
Jessica Higgins received the JO8+ Best Beam Trophy for her level 9 routine
Geillan MaCewan received gold for all events and all around in Aspire level 1.
